Fuller lips

December 19th, 2010

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For some reason, society seems to be focused on the ‘fullness’ with a complete disregard for the other features that make beautiful lips. The result is that there are a lot of duck lips out there. If you feel like you would benefit from having fuller lips but are worried about fillers looking unnatural I would recommend considering either fat injections (for a softer, more natural look) or a lip lift (to reshape the cupid's bow and shorten the upper lip which can, in some cases, enhance the appearance of youth and fullness).

Subnasal lip lift

August 11th, 2010

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A subnasal lip lift is one option to make the red lip look appear fuller. The basis for this surgery is to decrease the amount of white upper lip by removing approximately 1/3 of it with a bullhorn shaped excision under the nose. This increases the red to white lip ratio making the red lip appear fuller. The actual fullness of the red lip often improves with this procedure. Please see my website and link to my book chapter on this topic for further detail.

Achieving fuller lips

August 1st, 2010

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There are only 3 methods of achieving fuller lips. Any of these can be overdone. The trick is to achieve a normal balance to the lip for your face. The first is an externally applied “plumper” that causes the lip to swell for a short time (hours). The second is lip elevation surgery. This only works in people with long upper lips and is most commonly used to correct the elongation of the lip that occurs as you age. It can be done just under the nose or at the skin-mucosa border of the lip. It shortens the lip and turns the mucosa out. The third is use of a filler. This can be one of the injectables or a surgically placed implant. The latter simply plumps the mucosal part of the lips permanently (depending on the implant). Injections can do this also for up to a year. They can also sculpt the lip back to a more normal appearance if you have lost the normal fullness with aging (or even surgery). They do not have to fill the mucosal part of the lip. Instead, they can be placed at the mucosal-skin border to return the normal roll there and under the skin just above the border to fill the area that age deflated. You did not state your age. If you are young, one of the fillers is your best bet, at least at first to see what you like. If you are older and have lost lip substance, then any of these could work for you. Either way, you need to discuss your desires and fears with an experienced surgeon. Do not just go in and say, “I want my lips plumped.” Instead, decide exactly what you wish to achieve, and express that when you arrive.

Lip lift

July 31st, 2010

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Lip augmentation without injection can be achieved with a lip lift. A small incision is made at the junction of the white and red portion of the lip and the red portion is advanced giving the appearance of a fuller lip with more pout. The lip lift is permanent with a nearly invisible scar and gives a natural appearance.

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as
a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you
have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute
or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.